Award

OCHRE Research scoping partnerships and opportunities

DSIT

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Award

02 Oct 2025 at 10:05

Award Notice
Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) conducted a public procurement process titled "OCHRE Research scoping partnerships and opportunities," focused on research and development services within the engineering biology sector. This selective procurement was executed as a call-off from a framework agreement, culminating in an award stage on 2nd October 2025. The contract was valued at £79,286.40 and spanned from 26th September 2025 to 26th March 2026. This procurement was dedicated to identifying research capabilities and collaboration opportunities in countries, with a focus on G7 nations. The contract aims to enhance the UK's knowledge of the international engineering biology value chain and support technological advancements. The project will result in interim and final reports outlining findings and recommendations.

This tender offers an opportunity for growth, especially for businesses skilled in analytical tools, automation, bioinformatics, and the synthesis and sequencing of biological materials. Businesses, including SMEs and VCSEs, stand to benefit by contributing to mapping global engineering biology capabilities and fostering international collaborations. The tender is ideal for enterprises that have expertise in data analysis, biotechnology, and international trade, given its focus on navigating geopolitical and technological advancements over the next 5-10 years. ForgeFront, a large-scale company, has already been awarded the contract, showcasing the opportunity for diverse organisations to participate and compete in such global research and innovation initiatives.

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Notice Information

Notice Title

OCHRE Research scoping partnerships and opportunities

Notice Description

We are seeking an experienced external supplier to improve HMG's knowledge of the international EB value chain and help us prioritise country engagement. The project is split in two: 1. Mapping capabilities. Identify where in a set list of countries (provided below) there are leading capabilities across the DSIT-defined engineering biology value chain. This will be through a mixture of qualitative and quantitative analysis, covering the research & commercial ecosystem. 2. Identify collaboration opportunities. Provide suggestions for mutually beneficial collaborations with those countries to boost supply chain security and maintain technological advantage. Utilise futures thinking to consider how technological & geopolitical developments may affect things in the future (5-10 years). The technologies in scope are: - Analytical tools: Techniques, methods, and instruments for analysing and understanding the behaviour and functionality of biological systems, particularly those that have been engineered or modified. - Automation and robotics: Robotics can be used in all laboratories, including biomedical and engineering biology, to automate large parts of the work of researchers and companies. In this context robots are used to physically manipulate items, ranging from simple hand tools to entirely autonomous laboratories, including cloud labs. - Bioinformatics, data, AI, and supercomputing: Bioinformatics and omics in engineering biology is the processing, storing, and analysing of biological data using computational tools and statistical methods to interpret large datasets generated by omics technologies. It can be roughly split into data, software (including AI), and hardware (including supercomputing). - Biological materials, reagents, and feedstocks: This includes unprocessed primary commodities, processed primary commodities, processed intermediate commodities, enzymes, and chemicals necessary for all engineering biology operations. - Nucleotide and protein synthesis: This includes the synthesis of genetic vectors (such as RNA, DNA, plasmids) and proteins. - Nucleotide and protein sequencing: This includes the sequencing of RNA and DNA, as well as diagnostic platforms for metagenomics. The countries in scope will be a subset of those in the following list: USA, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore & Switzerland. The final selection will be made according to supplier capabilities and expertise, but G7 countries should be prioritised. The project will be delivered in two phases: - Phase 1: an interim draft report roughly halfway through the project - Phase 2: a final report

Notice Details

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-b5fd17-98c73368-0979-4867-b8d8-36428b8da592
Publication Source
Contracts Finder
Latest Notice
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/73ff03ca-1d9c-4983-9e3a-ef676de6724e
Current Stage
Award
All Stages
Award

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Award Notice
Procurement Type
Framework
Procurement Category
Works
Procurement Method
Selective
Procurement Method Details
Call-off from a framework agreement
Tender Suitability
SME, VCSE
Awardee Scale
Large

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

CPV Codes

73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£79,286 Under £100K
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
£79,286 Under £100K
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
2 Oct 20254 months ago
Submission Deadline
15 Aug 2025Expired
Future Notice Date
Not specified
Award Date
24 Aug 20256 months ago
Contract Period
25 Sep 2025 - 26 Mar 2026 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Complete
Lots Status
Not Specified
Awards Status
Active
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Buyer & Supplier

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DSIT
Contact Name
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Email
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →
Contact Phone
Available with D3 Tenders Premium →

Buyer Location

Locality
SALFORD
Postcode
M3 5BS
Post Town
Manchester
Country
England
Major Region (ITL 1)
TLD North West (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLD3 Greater Manchester
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLD34 Greater Manchester South West
Delivery Location
Not specified
Local Authority
Salford
Electoral Ward
Blackfriars & Trinity
Westminster Constituency
Salford

Supplier Information

Number of Suppliers
1
Supplier Name

FORGEFRONT

Further Information

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts. 

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